Before the Great War, Great Bend was the largest city and county seat of Barton County, Kansas and a major center of industry. Now, it is a town full of garbage, whose inhabitants don't care much of hygiene, living and feeding in the junk.

Around 2198, Brotherhood of Steel intelligence located the possible origin of the humanoid robot that attacked Junction City and the tracks originated from Great Bend. The Calculator's robots attacked the place, killed nearly everyone and now were transforming this location into a robot manufacturing facility. Only a few humans survived the initial robot attack on the town: Mike, Noelene, Jake and Gloria. A woman named Ripley, the inhabitant of this town freed from Freeport by the Warrior, could be found dead near the entrance. Eventually, the robots were attacked by the Brotherhood of Steel squad, led by the warrior. A pacification robot, who was damaged by the steel yard cart fallen on him, was found here. General Dekker believed that this robot was the one appointed as a leader, who controlled other robots in this location. With it being damaged the robots become unavailable to complete their task to build a manufacturing plant. It is unknown whether the town was repopulated again.